Author Visit: The Spy Who Seduced Her by Christi Caldwell (Excerpt, Review and Giveaway)

Christi Caldwell is a MUST READ!! ~Mary Balogh, New York Times bestselling author
And see why Tessa Dare says, "A Christi Caldwell book never fails to touch the heart."

In this spellbinding new Regency series by Christi Caldwell, The Heart of a Duke meets the Brethren of the Lords. The stakes are high and passions flare hot in Regency England!

A widow with a past… The last thing Victoria Barrett, the Viscountess Waters, has any interest in is romance. When the only man she’s ever loved was killed she endured an arranged marriage to a cruel man in order to survive. Now widowed, her only focus is on clearing her son’s name from the charge of murder. That is until the love of her life returns from the grave.

A leader of a once great agency… Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter head of the Crown’s elite organization, The Brethren, is back on British soil. Captured and tortured 20 years ago, he clung to memories of his first love until he could escape. Discovering she has married whilst he was captive, Nathaniel sets aside the distractions of love...until an unexpected case is thrust upon him-- to solve the murder of the Viscount Waters. There is just one complication: the prime suspect's mother is none other than Victoria, the woman he once loved with his very soul.

Secrets will be uncovered and passions rekindled. Victoria and Nathaniel must trust one another if they hope to start anew—in love and life. But will duty destroy their last chance?

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In the course of Nathaniel’s career, he’d dealt with all manner of incensed individuals: men and women who’d resented questions he’d put to them, many of whom had put on impressive displays of pretend outrage to cover up the crimes they were truly guilty of. As such, he’d become adept at identifying when people put on an expert façade.

Victoria was hurting. Nor was it a lifetime of experience as a member of the Brethren that brought him to that realization, but rather the too brief time they’d shared. He’d learned every last nuance about this woman.

“Will you sit?” he asked quietly. When she stiffened, he added, “Please.”

She hesitated, and then notching her chin up, she moved to claim one of the indicated seats.

“May I take your cloak?” he reached for the garment.

“This is not a social call, my lord.”

My lord. When they’d been together, he’d been ‘my love’, ‘Nathaniel’, ‘Nate’. How much he missed hearing his name fall from her lips. How much he despised the bloody title that had been affixed to his name, instead.

would you like to see more older women, widows or spinsters get their Happily Ever After?

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~~Reviewed by Lisa~~

Christi Caldwell brings the vulnerability of lost love to the forefront and fills the void with renewed hope. She had the capacity to wring emotions out of you and leaves you with a brilliant book hangover.

Ms. Caldwell gives us a mature couple who have pasts and life experiences that are missing in the traditional historical romance with debutants in their early seasons on the marriage mart. She allows these to add a depth to the characters that makes me relate in a new way with the hero and heroine. She includes, with tenderness and sensitivity, the insecurities brought on by the changes in a woman’s body with years and childbirth during a touching love scene that made Nathaniel my hero for life. Well done! She also approaches the trauma Nathaniel faced in captivity with grace allowing Victoria to help Nathaniel start to come to terms with his past and move forward.

As the first book in a new series, but with some characters returning from other series, we are given an excellent background for the Brethren. Secondary characters have been fleshed out enough to leave you hoping they get their own HEA. These characters bring their own humor, intelligence and histories to add depth to Victoria and Nathaniel and their HEA. Ms. Caldwell once again brings her gift for dialogue and tension to new heights. The twists, turns, high and lows keep you turning the pages. This is one of my favorite books of hers to date.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Rating:

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About Christi Caldwell

USA TODAY Bestselling author CHRISTI CALDWELL blames Judith McNaught’s “Whitney, My Love!” for luring her into the world of historical romance. While sitting in her graduate school apartment at the University of Connecticut, Christi decided to set aside her notes and pick up her laptop to try her hand at romance. She believes the most perfect heroes and heroines have imperfections, and she rather enjoys torturing them before crafting them a well deserved happily ever after!

Christi makes her home in southern Connecticut where she spends her time writing her own enchanting historical romances, chasing around her feisty seven-year-old son and caring for her twin princesses in training!

Honestly, I like both but I would love to see more characters that are older women no matter what their social status is. Since I am an older woman myself I can attest to the fact that we can have “exciting” lives too and that there could be many kinds of stories written for older women. I am so excited that Christi has started telling/writing “older women” stories. You are the best, Christi!

I read and enjoy debutantes, but I really love well-written romance about older, more seasoned heroines and heroes. Probably why I like the second chance at love trope. I thought the tiny excerpt included above sounded wonderful!